I'm trying to learn abit more about my grandfather during the war this is all I have so far he was a in the glider pilot reg 9 flights g squadron Alec Alfred young S/106153 was a sergeant
Welcome to the forum Paul. I'm sure somebody will be along soon to give you a link to where you should apply for his service records. That's the very first thing you should get for accuracy. All the best with your research. Did he survive the war?
Yes he did he became a police chief superintendent he died in 79 I was only 4 so know little about him I know he was in the same class as Norman wisdom at school
Hi Paul, The cropped picture you posted of your grandfather comes from a group photo of 9 Flight, G Squadron taken sometime in June 1944, most likely at RAF Fairford. G Squadron gliders left from Fairford in the early evening of June 6th as part of Operation Mallard. He is not listed among the Glider Pilots of G Squadron who took part in the operation found at the HQ GPR page. Not all of the GPs from the Squadron were used in the Operation. His service records should tell you if he landed in Normandy or not. Your grandfather is listed on the nominal roll in the book "Glider Pilots at Arnhem": Young, A. S/Sgt. G/9, RAR, CN-* "RAR" indicates "Returned to Nijmegen 25/26 September 1944". So he made it across the river during the withdrawal and would have been evacuated to Britain afterwards. G Squadron flew from RAF Fairford on OMG. Unfortunately without a chalk number (CN) it is not possible to pinpoint which lift he left on and what unit his glider carried. The Commanding Officer of G Squadron, 9 Flight at Arnhem was Captain Michael Temple Corrie. However, I did find the following account by Glider Pilot Sergeant Roy Hatch in Cornelius Ryan's book, "A Bridge Too Far". Could the Alec Young described here be your grandfather? Their landing is in a section of the book dealing with the drops and landings of the 2nd lift on Monday,18 September. "Sergeant Roy Hatch, copiloting a Horsa carrying a jeep, two trailers filled with mortar ammunition, and three men, wondered how they were going to get down when he saw the antiaircraft fire ahead of them on the run-in. As Staff Sergeant Alec Young, the pilot, put the glider into a steep dive and leveled off, Hatch noticed to his amazement that everyone seemed to be heading toward the same touch-down point—including a cow which was frantically running just in front of them. Somehow Young put the glider down safely. Immediately the men jumped out and began unbolting the tail section. Nearby, Hatch noticed three gliders lying on their backs. Suddenly, with a tearing, rasping sound, another Horsa crash-landed on top of them. The glider came straight in, sliced off the nose of Hatch’s glider, including the canopy and the cockpit where Hatch and Young had been sitting only moments before, then slid forward, coming to a halt directly in front of them." As for Operation Varsity I can't find a good list of GPs who were involved. G Squadron left from RAF Great Dunmow, once again pulled by the Stirling aircraft of RAF Squadrons 190 and 620. The GPR Society may be able to assist with your search. Glider Pilot Regiment Society Regards ...
Paul, There are two Hatches listed in the Arnhem nominal roll: Hatch, Sgt. 2589688, D/13, RAR, CN-* Hatch, R.E. Sgt. G/9, RAR, CN-* As you can see the second, Sgt. R.E. Hatch, is in the same Squadron and Flight as your grandfather. The first man it turns out is Roy's first cousin Douglas Hatch. I've come across bits and pieces of Hatch's account in a number of books. The Cornelius Ryan Collection holds his interview etc with Ryan in Folder 26 under Glider Pilot Regiment: Cornelius Ryan Collection - A Bridge Too Far: British Forces There is also a PDF from the same source which has part of Sgt. Roy E. Hatch's account at the end of the document and also photograph of him. It appears that Hatch and Young stuck together throughout the Arnhem battle. https://www.library.ohio.edu/archives/mss/ryan-exhibit/panel_24.pdf "It was some time after midnight when Young and Hatch and another glider pilot began making their way toward the river. They walked along the bank for a few minutes and then came a boat. In it were the bodies of two rather young-looking civilians. They had been shot. They did not bother to remove the bodies. The three of them got in and pushed the boat off, paddling furiously with their rifle butts. About 10 yards from shore, the boat began filling with water and slowly sinking. They swam back to shore and Hatch remembers watching, with horrified fascination, the bodies of the two dead Dutchman as they floated downstream." Hope I'm on the right track there. Regards ...
S/106153 Sergeant Alexander Alfred Young. 9 Flight, G Squadron flew with Sergeant R. Hatch. He enlisted in the RASC on 29-08-1939.
Paul, Ok thanks, that's a relief and sorry for all the wordiness to prove a point ... Your grandfather and Hatch were near Divisional HQ at the Hartenstein Hotel at some point during the Arnhem battle. Hatch describes an incident involving General Urquhart in the book "Shrinking Perimeter" by Martin Bowman. The Ryan Collection may send you copies of Ryan's transcribed interview with Hatch if you can convince them you are a relative of one of the men mentioned in the book. As well that may not be the sole source of Sgt. Hatch material? Regards ...
Hi Paul, If you think your granddad took part in Varsity have a look at the No 1 Wing War Diary on Pegasus Archive No.1 Wing, The Glider Pilot Regiment . As well as the gliders of G squadron Cee has identified above you'll see 9 Flight was detached to RAF Matching with elements of other flights. "13th March 1945 Place: Gt. Dunmow Loading of Glider for Exercise "Vulture III" Briefing by Major Priest. 9 Flight and elements of the other three Flights detached to Matching..." From there they took 20 Horsa gliders, chalk numbers 207-226, and men of the 12th Devons to LZ-R, towed by Stirlings of the ORTU (Operational Refresher Training Unit). 14 tugs reported successful release over the LZ, according to the RAF 38 Group report post-operation. Jenny
G squadron delivered the following on Op Varsity. 3 Anti tank Battery in 6 gliders on DZ A 5 Anti tank battery in 6 gliders on DZ B 12 Devonshire regiment in 44 gliders on LZ R I've got the grid references for the GPR chaps RV locations but only relevant if we find out he was on this op. Alex.
Alex, If you go towards the bottom of the 6th AL Brigade HQ page (Varsity) at the Pegasus Archive there is a chart in one of the appendices that shows whether or not gliders of the 12 Devons landed on their LZ . According to that the horsas out of RAF Matching on serial B14 (207-226) were carrying men and equipment of the Devons Support Company. Headquarters, 6th Airlanding Brigade I'll attach the page from the CD you sent of serial B14. Unfortunately the glider pilots are not known. Regards ...
Paul Try also, unless you already have of course, of getting in touch with the chaps/chappeses who run this website. Glider Pilot Regiment Society They may be able to give you lots of information Regards Andy PS. There is also a facebook group for the GPR and relatives etc